São Paulo – The Tunisian government will host the Tunisia 2020 conference on the 29th and 30th this month to advertise investment opportunities in the country. The event will see local and international public and private delegates come together in the national capital Tunis.
The intention, Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) reported, is to present the 2016-2020 Development Plan to the international community, publicize the country’s financing needs, break down the government’s reforms program, amass the funds required to carry out major infrastructure projects, steer private investors towards the most promising sectors in each part of Tunisia, etc.
Projects will be discussed in 20 different fields of the economy, especially infrastructure, information technology, communication, agriculture and renewable energies, TAP said. A total of 140 projects will be on the agenda, including 64 public, 43 private, and 33 involving public-private partnerships.
The slogan for the conference is “Tunisia is back,” to convey the message that social and political stability and safety have been regained.
Tunisia is where the Arab Spring first broke out. In early 2011, a popular uprising put an end to the rule of then-president Zine El Abdine Ben Ali, who had been in power for over two decades. What followed was a troublesome political transition that saw a new constitution be approved and elections be held for parliament and presidential seats.
Apart from internecine political and economic turmoil, the country struggled with the international financial crisis, and terror attacks last year dealt a blow on tourism, a primary revenue source.
TAP reported that foreign direct investment slid 7.6% this year compared with 2010, pre-Arab Spring levels, with unemployment currently at 15.5%. Tunisia’s current account deficit could reach 9% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by the end of 2016.
The conference will feature 50 speakers; 2,500 people have registered, 1,200 of whom are non-locals. A total of 40 delegations are expected from countries including the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Algeria, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, etc., plus heads of state and delegates from international organizations, investment funds and the civil society.
This is the second such conference held by the Tunisian government. The first one happened in 2014.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
